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Tag: Amina Zawedde

  • President M7 Reappoints Dr. Aminah Zawedde as PS For The Ministry of ICT & National Guidance

    President M7 Reappoints Dr. Aminah Zawedde as PS For The Ministry of ICT & National Guidance

    Dr. Aminah Zawadde assumed the position of the Ps. Ministry of ICT and National Guidance on July 15th, 2021 replacing Hon. Vincent Waiswa Bagiire who had been the permanent secretary for the ministry since November 2016.

    Dr. Aminah Zawedde is among the seven (7) reappointed as permanent secretaries for their respective ministries by President Yoweri Museveni for another three years. The reappointment was confirmed by the Head of Public Service, Lucy Nakyobe, saying that the President indeed had renewed the contracts of the permanent secretaries, Dr. Aminah Zawedde inclusive.

    The appointees are Ramathan Ggoobi (Finance), Adolf Mwesige (Clerk to Parliament), Dr. Aminah Zawedde (ICT), Lt. Gen. Joseph Musanyufu (Internal Affairs), Pauline Irene Batebe (Energy), Pius Bigirimana (Judiciary), and Maj. Gen. David Kasura Kyomukama (Agriculture).

    “The President reappointed them and I have since written to all of them confirming their new appointments,” said Nakyobe.

    Dr. Zawadde assumed the position on July 15th, 2021 in a reshuffle by the President that sent at least seven permanent secretaries into retirement noting that the retirees have been retired in the Public Interest. Dr. Zawadde succeeded Hon. Vincent Waiswa Bagiire who had been the permanent secretary for the ministry since November 2016.

    We are waiting for a comment from the minister.

    In her tenure, Dr. Zawedde has provided strategic and technical guidance on how various sectors can leverage innovation and digital technologies to solve their problems within academia, government, and the private sector. To this end, she has played a big role in strengthening the linkages between academia and industry and developing policies, strategies, and programme documents for funding partners that align IT with the government’s development agenda.

    Dr. Zawedde holds a Ph.D. from the Eindhoven University of Technology, a PGDip in Educational Technologies from the University of Cape Town, a PGD in Education from IUIU, an MSc. Computer Science and a BSc. in Statistics and Economics from Makerere University.

    She has experience as an IT consultant on both local and international projects. Her expertise includes ICT advisory, re-engineering, systems integration, e-governance, information security, business transformation, digitization, research, modeling for decision support, process improvement, system integration, and capacity building, to mention a few.

  • Exclusive: Why PS Aminah Zawedde is being attacked right, left and centre

    Exclusive: Why PS Aminah Zawedde is being attacked right, left and centre

    Zawedde questioned how it could be possible that the new tyres had worn out in two weeks when the car had hardly covered 200 KM within that period.

    However, the most shocking part is that the minister wanted the ‘tyres’ in cash, which is improper.

    She stood her ground and the minister started badmouthing her before the president whenever a chance presented itself.

    When this failed, the minister enlisted allies in the media industry and commissioners and directors at the ministry to fight Zawedde.

    One of the directors was told by the minister that he would lobby the president to ensure that he replaces Zawedde.

    Through political experience, the minister knew that if the volume of negative stories on Zawedde increased, may be the president may be forced to act because it would project a bad image.

    “That is why some media houses have joined in the fight,” said one of our sources. “They don’t want to cross check the information they are given because they know the truth will embarrass them.”

    We have been told that some media houses, especially the news websites, have been given up to Shs 1 million per negative story on Zawedde.

    In fact, from the tone and flow of the stories, one can tell that they are written from a central point and then distributed to the news outlets to publish. The coordinator of the project is a prominent personality in the media.

    “It is a well-orchestrated, well-oiled machine,” our source said.

    For now, Zawedde, according to our sources has decided to keep quiet and let those who are fighting her take the limelight.

    “She knows what she is doing is right. She also knows that she may lose the battle but not the bigger war,” said the source.

    Who is Zawedde?

    Dr Zawedde has served as the Permanent Secretary of the ICT Ministry since July 15, 2022.

    She holds a PhD from Eindhoven University of Technology in the Netherlands, an MSc. in Computer Science from Makerere University.

    She holds a PGDip in Educational Technologies from the University of Cape Town, South Africa, a PGD in Education from the Islamic University in Uganda, and a BSc. in Statistics and Economics from Makerere University.

  • ICT PS Zawedde defends vehicles procurement deal

    ICT PS Zawedde defends vehicles procurement deal

    Dr Aminah Zawedde, the Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of ICT and National Guidance, has defended the procurement deal where more than UGX 900m was spent on purchasing two vehicles.

    According to a statement from the Ministry, two vehicles, and not one were purchased “ensuring transparency and accountability” adding that “all requisite approvals, and processes were adhered to.”

    The Sunday afternoon statement defended the procurement process as having followed proper guidelines to the dot.

    “We acknowledge the reports regarding the procurement of vehicles at the ministry of ICT and National Guidance which alleged the purchase of a single government vehicle for Ugx965 million,” said the ministry in the statement.

    “It is crucial to clarify that as opposed (to) the allegation of a single costing that much, two vehicles were procured, not one.”

    The ministry said the procurement process went through open bidding and strictly adhered to the guidelines set by the PPDA, and was equally cleared by the office of the Solicitor General.

    What You Need to Know

    There have been reports that the Auditor General is investigating circumstances under which Dr Zawedde authorised payment of almost Shs 1bn to procure a vehicle from a car bond in Kampala.

    Reports indicated that on August 31, 2022, Zawedde paid Cadam Enterprises Shs 965m for the supply of a Toyota Land Cruiser LC 300 VX to the Ministry of ICT, citing a reference number for the car purchase as PP1028377.

    However the Ministry has stated that they purchased two vehicles, as opposed to one, and were already registered as UG 0057N and UG 0058N and were available for anyone interested in inspecting them.